A MINORITY OF CHILDHOOD DISORDERS OF GUT-BRAIN INTERACTION PERSIST INTO ADULTHOOD: A RISK-FACTOR ANALYSIS

• Published in: The American journal of gastroenterology Vol. 119; no. 9; pp. 1894 - 1900
• Main Authors: Jones, Michael P, Koloski, Natasha A, Walker, Marjorie M, Holtmann, Gerald J, Shah, Ayesha, Eslick, Guy D, Talley, Nicholas J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Abdomen; Adults; Age; Constipation; Discriminant analysis; Infantile colic; Irritable bowel syndrome; Medical records; Patients; Risk factors; United Kingdom > UK
• ISSN: 0002-9270; 1572-0241
• DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002751

Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) may originate in childhood. There is currently limited data on persistence of DGBI into adulthood, and risk factors for persistence. Further, there are no data on this question from general practice, where the majority of DGBIs are diagnosed and managed. This study documents the proportion of childhood-diagnosed DGBI that persisted into adulthood and what factors were associated with persistence. General practice records were obtained for over 60,000 patients whose medical record spanned both childhood and adulthood years. Patients with diagnosed organic gastrointestinal disorder were excluded. Medical records were also interrogated for potential risk factors. 11% of IBS and 20% of FD patients diagnosed in childhood had repeat diagnoses of the same condition in adulthood. Female sex (OR=2.02) was associated with persistence for IBS while a childhood diagnosis of gastritis (OR=0.46) was risk-protective. Childhood NSAIDs (OR=1.31, 95% CI 1.09, 1.56) was a risk factor for persistence in IBS. For FD, a childhood diagnosis of asthma (OR=1.30, 95% CI 1.00, 1.70) was a risk factor, as was anxiety for both IBS (OR=1.24, 95% CI 1.00, 1.54) and FD (OR=1.48 95% CI 1.11, 1.97) with a similar finding for depression for IBS (OR=1.34, 95% CI 1.11, 1.62) and FD (OR=1.88 95% CI 1.47, 2.42). Childhood DGBI persist into adulthood in 10-20% of patients, suggesting that management monitoring should continue into adulthood. Those diagnosed with anxiety or mood disorders in childhood should receive particular attention and prescription of NSAIDs in children should be made judiciously.